Sufficient and effective rehabilitation and physical therapy often require a regimen which simulates as closely as possible the actual physical operations which the individual will encounter in the work place. Unfortunately, while many of the devices which have been developed for use in physical and rehabilitative therapy provide reasonably good exercise programs for particular muscles and joints, these devices often do so in a way which does not accurately simulate the actual operations which the individual will be required to perform in every day life.
Many jobs for example, frequently require the individual to either remove or replace items of different size and weight from shelves located at the different heights, and it is not uncommon for individuals engaged in this activity to experience various back and other disorders associated with lifting. Similarly, operations which require lifting in other contexts or stretching, bending over or crouching can all produce various disorders associated with the back and limbs of the body.
Clearly, to provide effective rehabilitation and therapy, as well as testing and evaluation of individuals who have experienced these sorts of disorders, it is desirable to employ equipment which simulates as closely as possible the type of operation which the individual will be required to perform in his work so that maximum strengthening and rehabilitation of the associated muscles can be achieved. Although many of the numerous devices currently employed for rehabilitative therapy can be helpful in these situations, it is clearly advantageous to have available equipment which can readily and quickly be employed in various modes to simulate almost exactly the precise operations of lifting, stretching, and removing and replacing items of various weight and size in different locations.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device for physical and rehabilitative therapy, testing and exercise which provides for effective simulation of operations in which the individual must remove or replace items of various weight and size in different locations and at different heights.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device for physical rehabilitation therapy and evaluation which requires that the individual using the device coordinate various movements and operations in a prearranged regimen to simulate actual conditions which are encountered in the work place.
It is a still a further object of the present invention to provide a system for rehabilitative therapy, exercise and evaluation which provides a wide range of work simulating operations and which can be readily adjusted to accommodate the requirements of the individual.